Want to Know How Astronauts Photograph in Space?

Donald Pettit has called the International Space Station home for over 370 days, and in that time he’s captured some of the most mind-blowing photos of space – and Earth – we’ve ever seen.

Photo by Donald Pettit/NASA

Photo by Michael J. Treola

Donald – who’s known around the Internet for his YouTube videos featuring him doing everyday things like drinking coffee and playing with yo-yo’s in space – epitomizes many of the characteristics of a modern day genius: he’s at once quirky and brilliant, and seems not find a statement like, “hard drives tend to fail in space” as amusing as the rest of us do.

This past September at Luminance 2012, Donald gave us an inside look into what it’s like to take photos in space with his 10+ top-of-the-line DSLRs and lenses.

On stage, Donald talked about life in the Space Station, pointing out that it’s much easier – and more fun – to get shots of the crew coming from different angles than the traditional, lined up group portrait (thanks zero gravity!).

This astronaut also appreciates the artistic side of space. Did you ever consider what certain environmental factors would look like from space with infrared photography? When NASA stopped flying film in 2002, Donald convinced them to let him remove the IR blocking filter in a Nikon D3S so he could capture the deep reds of the Ganges River Delta and turquoise sentiment caused by reefs in the Bahamas – which can only be seen in the near infrared.

Photo by Donald Pettit/NASA

He explains one of the most challenging aspects of photographing in space: reflections. “You have to work hard to get rid of these reflections, particularly if you’re taking pictures at orbital nighttime,” he says. “I call this my turtleneck.”

Photo by Michael J. Treola

Donald shared more extraordinary photos from space, including an HDR shot of an aurora made from bracketing multiple exposures, star trails streaked with multiple lighting storms, cities sprinkled with light bulbs, and other events we will never get to see from Earth.

Curious how he managed these shots? Check out the video to learn about the complex nature of photographing in space and why Donald believes that photography is essential in recording scientific nature – and human experience.